


Lament

by Keenir



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-25
Updated: 2010-11-25
Packaged: 2017-10-13 08:59:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/135492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilers: Every 1st season episode with her in it, just in case.</p><p>Dedicated to K.Waymire, actress par excellent bar none.</p><p>Disclaimer: I own only the original characters, and even those pale before the sheer skill of K.Waymire, whose characters were always so full of life and history, no matter how briefly they were onscreen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lament

Djo watched the pyre rise. Taller already than the highest building he could think of, dozens of meters, and it was still growing.

Death. A death like no other.

A Human had died.

In his countryside. In his country. In his territory. In his responsibility.

Djo did all he could think of: he shed his skin, throwing the shell into the roaring flames; slicing off his antlers, steadfastly drowning the shots of pain with the ocean of loss; he was prepared to walk into the inferno, to pay the price for her return. Even naked and vulnerable, Djo was ready to wrestle Death for this one.

One step, two, three. Closer and closer to the heat, the brightness, the cleansing of fire. Elizabeth had talked to him, treated him as an equal, had become his friend.

She and the falling-ill Doctor Phlox had even explained the word. Told Djo what a friend was; Djo, who came from a species where one was either dominant or subordinate, herding animals once.

Phlox was sick still, but he would recover. Djo intended to wrestle Death, as Death had stolen Elizabeth when she was in the peak of health. He would do so, and would have done so irregardless of Death's motives.

A hand came down gently on his broad shoulder. Turning his head just enough to see whom it was - never letting the pyre out of his sight - Djo saw that it was the Malcolm Reed, crumpled uniform in hand.

Wet spots slid down the faces of the Humans in attendance, with Malcolm no exception. Djo noted this, and wondered if it accenuated the grief.

Partway around the fire were those Humans, and a Race among them whom had opted to reveal themselves in this state of mourning great loss. "Were Wolves" one Enterprise Human had said.

Malcolm, perhaps one of that Race or not, took steps around Djo, and, them both being close to the flames by now, handed his uniform to the pyre. Only then looking at Djo, Malcolm said "Don't die. She wouldn't have wanted that."

Djo suspected Malcolm felt as he did, suspected Humans had emotions similar to Djint. "I am the head of this land. I am responsible."

"I'm responsible for ensuring the safety and health of all Enterprise members. So I'm responsible."

Instinct had to be overwhelmed, a mix of instinct and reason; Djo nearly fought Malcolm for the right to be first to fight Death, for her.

Only then did he remember that he was weaponless; skin-shed, he was even more vulnerable than a Human.

A Human. Elizabeth.

Djo opened his mouths to object, to layer further reasons for his own to-be-blamed, when "We both failed," Malcolm said. Djo nodded, acceeding the compromise.

Together as one, they let loose with the primal sounds of their disparate kinds. Malcolm wailed and shouted curses to the skies and earth and everything else, challenging, demanding. Djo bellowed and lowed, stomping at the ground even with his tenderized feet. The two Races from Enterprise, plus their Vulcan and Denobulan, all joined in with the cries and screams of their kinds.

Everyone feeling one common emotion, one common thought. It mattered not their language or species or religion. They were of one mind on what they were mourning, lamenting, regretting.

A loss unequaled. A loss unequalable.


End file.
